The good old hockey game

(Ice) Hockey season is back in full swing in North America following a four month hiatus as players and the NHL clashed over pay.

The squabbling has left many former NHL fans disillusioned, with large numbers vowing to turn their backs on the league to concentrate on the less-tainted and hugely popular junior ranks – which produce the stars of tomorrow.

And it’s within this climate of disenchantment with the professional game that a heart-warming story caught my eye: the upcoming sale of the Miracle on Ice collection of the US captain Mike Eruzione.

The triumph of the gutsy US amateurs over the professionals of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics, all set against the Cold War backdrop, is a tale that will be familiar to many.

Now collectors have the opportunity to grab a piece of this famous moment of sporting history – and to keep the Miracle alive.